Pinto League Rules

April/May Rules

Home team is responsible for making sure the field is ready to play, such as getting equipment from shed, setting up pitching machine and bases

Visiting Team is responsible for putting away the above mentioned and dragging the field (unless a scheduled practice immediately follows)... please put equipment in the plastic barrels inside the shed - to prevent mouse damage

Games are 3 or 4 innings with a 1 hour 15 minute time limit. Play the 4th inning if both coaches agree and time allows

For the development of all players, rotate players to play all defensive positions throughout the course of the season. Keep records

Standard defensive positions is for 10 players in the field - all infield positions including pitcher and 4 outfielders

If you have more than 10 players at the game, rotate bench players

If you have 11 players, you have the option of playing 5 outfielders or allowing 1 player to rest

If you have 9 players, play all infield positions and 3 outfielders

If you have 8 players, play without a pitcher and with 3 outfielders

If you have 7 players, play without a pitcher and with 2 outfielders

Players should play in standard defensive alignment to learn proper positioning - no shifts or overloads

All players bat each inning

One batter in the on deck circle

Players should take practice swings on deck only, no swinging in or around dugout

Each batter will be allowed 6 pitches to put the ball in play

April/May/June exception to allow batter to keep batting if fouls off 6th pitch

No bunting

Last batter should stop at the appropriate base as if there are still batters coming to the plate afterwards, do not allow the batter to run all the way around to home.

Batted ball that hits the pitching machine or a coach is a dead ball, batter is awarded first base, advance runners one base

Thrown ball that hits the pitching machine or a coach is a dead ball, batter and runners are awarded next base

If a batter or runner is out on a play, they should return to the bench

No dropped 3rd strike rule

No lead offs or stealing

No advancement of bases on over thrown balls

No advancement of bases once the ball is in the infield area.

Batting team's coach will feed the pitching machine

Coaches are encouraged to be in the field on defense

Please clean up your dugouts after the games

Hold after game wrap ups outside the dugouts, to allow the next teams to get ready.

June Rules

All rules remain from previous rules with the following changes:

If defensive team gets 3 outs, clear runners from the bases

Continue to have all players bat each inning

Runners are allowed to take 1 extra base on an overthrow

This is on an overthrow only. It does not constitute permission to allow runners to take an extra base whenever possible.

On an outfield hit, players should stop advancing once ball is in the possession of an infielder. If base runner has not rounded a base then NO advancement to the next base can occur. If already rounding the base before throw occurs then advancement to the next base is allowed.

Clarification: If the outfielder is holding the ball, runners can continue to run until the ball is actually thrown. Runners should advance to the next base while the ball is in the air. If the fielding team makes a throw to a base attempting to throw out the runner, then overthrow rule applies. But the expectation is that coaches should understand and be able to gage whether or not the throw was an actual attempt to throw out the runner as opposed to just a throw into the infield. We don't want people taking extra bases just because outfielders' arms aren't that strong. Again, the reason for this is to teach smart base running skills.

During the month of June, start trying to coach defense from the dugout. It doesn't have to be the first week, but the goal is to have defensive coaches off the field entirely by the end of June.

July Rules

All rules remain from previous rules with the following changes:

Score will be kept

Maximum of 5 runs per inning for 1st 4 innings

Maximum of 10 runs for the 5th inning

Time limits still apply, 5th inning not guaranteed

If time limit is a factor, both coaches must agree the 4th inning will be final inning prior to beginning the 4th inning

If agreed, then 10 run maximum will apply to 4th inning

Any inning in which 10 run maximum agreed to will be final inning

There will be no extra innings for non-tournament play

6 pitches per batter (if the ball is not put in play after 6 pitches or the 6th pitch is hit foul, the batter is ruled out)

After 3 outs, half inning is over & teams switch regardless of number of batters

Play does not end until ball is in possession of an infielder who is physically in the infield

Tournament Rules

Umpires: They wear no gear, need no baseballs and do not call balls & strikes. They will feed the machine, call safe or out and fair or foul. The umpires have obviously not been doing Pinto games, so keep that in mind when interacting with them.

These are the rules provided to both coaches and umpires:

The ump feeding the machine should call home & third and left side foul line. The other ump should call first & second and right side foul line